Back pressure valve



Feb. 4`, 195s I huh ' J. L. LAMBERSQN,'JR., ErAL BACK PRESSURE VALVEFiled sept. 1, 1954 dac/4'" lamerson, df.

L/o/vr/V l/V. Wen/790279 /D'e er INVENToRs United StatCS Patenti-O.,

Houston, and Conrad W. Peter, Conroe, Tex., assignors, by mesneassignments, to Esso Research and Eugmeering Company, Elizabeth, N. J.,a corporation of Delaware Application September 1, 1954, Serial No.453,655 3 Claims. (Cl. 166-224) The present invention is directed to aback pressure valve. More particularly, the invention is directed to aback pressure valve for use in well cementing operations. In its morespecific aspects, the inventon is concerned with a back pressure valveproviding a full open passageway through the back pressure valve.

The present invention may be described briefly as a back pressure valveadapted to be connected to a liner for use in well cementing operations.The back pressure valve comprises a valve body member which is providedwith an annular sleeve having an annular space communicating iluidlywith the exterior of the body member. At least one port communicates theannular space with the interior of the body member. Valve means areprovided in the sleeve for iluid flow through the port from the interiorof the body member to the exterior of the body member and to resistfluid ow from the exterior to the interior of the body member. Aremovable or drillable plug closes the lower end of the body member toprovide when removed or drilled out a full open passageway. The valvemeans may comprise a ball and seat arranged in or on a vertical portcommunicating with the lateral port.

The drillable plug may be a cement plug or it may be a drillable metalplug or it may be a combination of cement backed up by a drillablemetal.

It is contemplated that the lower end of the valve may be provided witha sealing means arranged to embrace or surround the lower end to form aseal with a perforated liner when the back pressure valve is connectedto the blank liner such that another blank liner and the valve will seatdown on a perforated liner and a full open bore liner is provided.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to the drawing inwhich Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the back pressure valve, and

Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of .the blank liner with the back pressurevalve landed on a perforated liner in a well casing.

For a clearer understanding of the nature of the invention, reference tothe drawing in greater detail will be made, wherein Fig. l discloses thelower portion of a blank liner 11 connected to a valve body, generallyindicated by numeral 13. The valve body 13 includes an annular uppersleeve 14, a lower sleeve 20, sealing material 24 and plugging material22 and 23. Sleeve 14 is threadedly connected to liner 11 by matingthreads 12 and to sleeve 20 by mating threads 19. Sleeve 20 is of lesserdiameter than sleeve 14 and sleeve 20 extends below the lower endthereof, thereby forming between sleeves 14 and 20 a recess in which islocated or positioned sealing means 24, which may be of deformablemetal, such as lead, and is preferably of conical shape, as seen moreclearly in Fig. l. The upper sleeve 14 is formed to provide an annularchamber 15, which iluidly communicates with the interior of liner 11 viaa plurality pt' passages 16 and 17. A ball Z7 is positioned in each ofthe .passages 16 withinka cage formed in chamber 15 which includeprotuberances 27 extending from the walls of chamber 15. The sleeve 20is closed by a plug, generallyV indicated by numeral 21 which consistsof a cement plug 22 and a drillable metal plug 23 which latter isconnected to sleeve 20 by mating threads 23'. The plug 22 may be usedwithout the plug 23 or the plug 23 may be used without the plug 22;however, it is preferred to employ a cement plug backed up by a castiron plug.

In Fig. 2 is shown a borehole penetrating producing zones A and B. Theborehole is provided with a casing 29 which extends below zone B and isperforated as at 30a. Valve body 13 connected to liner 11 and engagedlyconnecting with a lower liner`25 is positioned in the borehole. Blankliner 11 is provided with a liner packer 35 and liner 25 is providedwith a liner packer 35. Packer 35 is employed to seal od the annulusbetween casing 29 and tubing 31 (which is connected to liner 11) aboveinterval B. Packer 35 on liner 25 is adapted to seal olf the annulusbetween the casing 29 and the liner 25 above the lower interval Aadjacent which liner 25 has been perforated, as indicated at 30. Also,packer 35 is provided with pipe engaging means or slips 37 which areadapted to bite into or engage the wall of casing 29. The upper end 38of liner 25 above packer 35 forms a sleeve which rests on shoulders 39of pipe slips 37 and causes the slips 37 to move downwardly on thesurfaces 40 of the slip assembly into engagement with casing 29. Liner25 is provided with an annular shoulder 10 which engages slot 9 formedin slip 38. (As shown in Fig. 2, sleeve 38 rests on slips 37 therebyeiectively sealing ott the valve body 13 and liner 25 by means of thesealing material 24 engaging with the upper end of the sleeve 38.) Priorto inserting valve body 13 in the casing the slips are not set andshoulder 10 of liner 25 rides in the lower portion of slot 9. Valve body13 is lowered on liner 11 into the casing 29 until the sealing means 24of valve body 13 engages with the upper end ot' sleeve 38 and forcessleeve 38 downwardly, thereby causing shoulder 10 to move upwardly inslot 9. As the slips 37 set, the lower end of sleeve 38 will slide onshoulders 39 of slips 37 as the slips move outwardly to engage thecasing 29.

In operation, as shown in Fig. 2, perforated liner 25 is positioned inopen hole 10 below the casing 29. Blank liner 11 with valve body 13connected thereto is then run in the casing 29 on the end of a pipestring 31 and is set down on the upper end of the sleeve 38, such that aseal is formed between the valve body 13 and the sleeve 38 with thesealing means 24. The packer 35 closes olf the annulus between liner 11and casing 29 above interval B. The packer 35 closes oi the annulusbetween liner 25 and casing 29 above zone A and below zone B. The valvebody 13 is positioned adjacent zone B. Cement is then pumped downthrough the pipe 31, through passageways 17 and 16, through the valvemeans, including the ball 27 and protuberances 27', into annular chamber15 and thence into the annulus between casing 29 and liner 11 adjacentperforations 30a. Thus, perforations 39a may be cemented olf. After theperforations 30a have been cemented off, plug 21 may be drilled outthereby allowing a full bore liner for production from zone A throughperforations 30 in liner 25. This invention, therefore, provides a fullopen type back pressure valve for use in cementing blank liners oppositecasing perforations that have been made to obtain reservoir informationin sands above an open hole completion zone producing through aconventional liner seating.

In the practice of the present invention, it is contemplated that othertypes of valve means besides that illustrated may be used, such as aapper or rubber sleeve type check valve but these valves must bearranged such that thefull'opening bore will not be obstructed in anymanner whatsoever.

The nature and objects of'the present invention havingbeen.completelyudescribed and illustrated, whatwe wish to. claim. asnew.and .useful and toI secure. by Letters Patentis:

1. Abackppressure valve adapted to be connected to a first liner and toengage. with a.second liner comprising'va tir-st sleeve connected tosaidrst liner, a second sleeve. .of lesser .outside .diameter .than saidrst sleeve andi connected .to said tirst s1eevesaid first and secondsleeves cooperating to..form a recess,.said,iirst sleeve being formed`to provide.meansadaptedto uidly communicate theji'nterior and exteriorof. saidrstsleeve, valve means arranged .in said iiuid, communicationmeans adapted to permituid vHow from .theinterior .to the exterior ofsaid iirst sleeve. and tofpreventuid .flowfrom the,r exterior to theinterior of said first sleeve, sealing means arranged in said recessadapted to engage with said second liner and a plug positioned in saidsecond sleeve adapted to prevent fluid ow therethrough.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said plug is drillable andincludes alayer l'ofl cement and a layer of metal.

3. A `device as recited in claim l wherein said sealing means .comprisesdeformable. metal.

ReferencesCited inthe. tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,822,193. Barton Sept. 8, 1931 1,839,709 Smith Jan. 5, 1932 2,117,535Baker et al. May 17, 1938 2,374,169 Boynton Apr. 24, 1945

